EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT FUTURE, you may be able, with just a few mouse clicks, to access any public company’s financial reports in extraordinary detail and for any period. In addition, you may be able to perform an array of instant analyses of those data. THE UNDERLYING TECHNOLOGY is
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Information management and technology assurance
FYI
Four practitioners replace departing members of the ASB. The appointees are Kenneth Macias, William F. Messier Jr., Steven L. Schenbeck and Michael T. Umscheid.
International
The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) issues an exposure draft, Share-based Payment ( www.iasb.org.uk ), which proposes companies, on their financial statements, report as expenses any shares or options they grant to employees as compensation. The IASB concluded that such transactions are not different from those in which an entity
Practitioner Tells Bush of “Trickle-Down” Effect
Carmen J. Aguiar, CPA,of Bellevue, Washington, was a panelist at the economic forum President George W. Bush, right, convened at Baylor University in August. Drawing from her experience in running a small firm, Aguiar expressed concern over the extensive financial reporting requirements her small business clients face.
Don’t Run the Risk
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DISCLOSURES OF FAULTY PRACTICES at public companies have led to restrictions on services a CPA may provide to audit clients. IN 2001 AUDITOR INDEPENDENCE RULES gave CPAs more freedom to buy and sell securities, increasing the risk that firms may violate laws against insider trading. THE SEC
Practice Management Article the Best in 2001
AICPA Chairman and CEO Barry C. Melancon presents the Journal of Accountancy’s 2001 Lawler Award for best article of the year to Edward Mendlowitz, CPA, for “ Nine Ways to Make Your Firm More Exciting ” (Mar.01, page 63). In his article Mendlowitz, a partner of Mendlowitz Weitsen LLP in
Home Is Where the Office Is
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CPA FIRMS THAT USE WORK-FROM-HOME arrangements with eligible staff say there are clear operational benefits: They save money because there’s less absenteeism, they increase production, and they are able to keep high-quality employees longer. SITUATIONS THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT take a CPA out of the workforce—such as a
It’s Time to E-File.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS THE IRS MOVES TOWARD ITS GOAL OF HAVING 80% of all tax returns filed electronically by 2007, the time has come for CPA firms to take steps to register themselves as electronic return originators (EROs). THERE ARE BENEFITS TO USING ELECTRONIC FILING. They include the perception
Signed, Sealed, Delivered
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A CPA/VALUATOR PLAYS A PIVOTAL ROLE in merger and acquisition (M&A) engagements. He or she helps to organize the transaction, mitigate trouble spots, establish an objective marketplace value for a client’s business and structure the deal along with attorneys, appraisers, bankers, financiers and regulators. A BUYER’S VALUATOR
Follow the Leader
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THE FIVE KEY MARKETING ROLES for a managing partner are ambassador, relationship manager, business-development manager, head of research and development (R&D) and communications director. MANAGING PARTNERS SHOULD BE ACTIVE in industry task forces and boards to stay on top of the latest trends and technologies. The ambassador
Evaluating Tax Software
ax-preparation-software products generally received higher marks from practitioners this year than last year. That’s the conclusion of a survey conducted by the National Association of Tax Professionals (NATP) and shared with the JofA . A total of 977 NATP members responded to the survey, reporting their experience with the
Make ’Em Pay Up
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A FIRM SHOULD SCREEN NEW CLIENTS for fiscal responsibility and use an engagement letter to describe exactly what services it will and won’t perform, what reports it will issue and the fee structure—hourly billing, project fees or other means of computing fees. The letter should name the entities
A Perspective on Audit Malpractice Claims
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CPAs CAN USE DATA ON AUDIT MALPRACTICE claims filed with CNA, which underwrites 22,000 CPA firms in the AICPA professional liability insurance program, to help them avoid high-cost claims when they audit nonpublic entities such as private companies, governments or NPOs. MOST NONPUBLIC AUDIT CLAIMS ARISE
An Ethics Quiz
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CPAs NEED TO BE MINDFUL of ethical issues in performing client services. They must be sensitive to public perceptions and expectations and must use informed judgment as well as adhere to professional standards. THREE OF THE MOST COMMON COMPLAINTS made against small to midsize CPA firms involve
Privacy Framework Helps CPAs Protect Consumers
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY COMPANIES REQUIRE HELP understanding and complying with the confusing array of privacy rules, and CPAs can meet that need. HIGHLY PUBLICIZED CORPORATE FAILURES to protect confidential data have heightened consumers’ awareness of threats to their privacy. CONSUMERS SURVEYED SAID they would rather do business with companies that
Meet the Press
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BEING A RELIABLE SOURCE of timely information for busy editors and reporters can give a CPA who is a sole practitioner or in a small practice a significant marketplace advantage. A practitioner can pursue this opportunity by developing a relationship with local media. TO BECOME A KEY LOCAL
Offer Family-Business Solutions
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY MILLIONS OF BABY BOOMERS who own businesses will approach retirement during the next decade. They will need help with the 10 key issues that affect management and succession. THE MYRIAD FAMILY-BUSINESS CONSULTING opportunities include improving organization design, creating greater operational efficiency, developing effective leadership, organizing fair compensation plans,
Help Clients Take Measure
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT (PM) IDENTIFIES, monitors and improves those business activities that affect a company’s profitability. The method uses both leading (future) and lagging (past) indicators to assess how well a business is meeting its targets in the present. THE SEVEN ESSENTIAL STEPS FOR A PM system are: Prepare
Pay for Performance
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY FIRMS THAT PUT PRODUCTIVITY CRITERIA in writing help principals stay focused on growing the firm as well as the bottom line. MEASURABLE PARTNER ACCOMPLISHMENTS include the number of new engagements, realization and niche development. Personnel development, image building and public relations are important partner accountabilities, too. ONE FIRM
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Agentic accounting has arrived: What’s hype and what’s real?
Artificial intelligence (AI) is moving beyond chatbots and into accounting workflows. A new generation of agentic AI tools can plan, execute, and adapt as they complete tasks, raising expectations for what automation can do inside firms and finance departments. What can agentic AI realistically do today and what challenges are there in its implementation? Find out in this Journal of Accountancy sponsored report.
From The Tax Adviser
August 31, 2026
2026 tax software survey
July 31, 2026
